The Thunderbirds were on Vancouver Island Monday night and were beaten by the Victoria Royals in a shootout at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena. While that is Seattle's fourth straight loss, there was a lot to like in this game.

In an early February game the Seattle Thunderbirds found themselves down to the Kelowna Rockets late. The top ranked WHL team had held Seattle at bay all night long and with just over five minutes to go, had a 1-0 lead.

If the WHL playoffs were to begin today, all five teams in the U.S. Division would qualify, with fourth-place Spokane and fifth-place Tri-City grabbing the Western Conference's two wild-card spots. Unlike any other division in the league, the U.S. Division is currently in the midst of a tight race that could see the standings change significantly before the regular season concludes in March. Eighteen points separate first-place Everett from fifth-place Tri-City, with Portland, Seattle, and Spokane falling second, third, and fourth in the division.